2026 Speakers

Retailer Keynotes

Tim Lowe, President
Lowes Foods

Tim has over 30 years of broad retail experience and currently serves as the Head of Alex Lee Retail/President of Lowes Foods, LLC. Tim previously served as Executive Vice-President, Merchandising for Supervalu. Tim also held the position of Senior Vice-President of Operations, Senior Vice-President of Merchandising as well as President of Shoppers Food. Prior to SuperValu Tim’s broad career also included time in General Merchandise including positions with companies such as Wal-Mart and Meijer. He is a graduate of the University of Houston where he graduated with a B.S. in Pharmacy.

Tim and his wife Karla reside in Lewisville, NC.

Kristin Popp, Executive Vice President
Woodman’s Food Market, Inc.

Kristin Popp is a prominent figure in the grocery industry, renowned for her leadership and dedication to excellence. Currently serving as the Executive Vice President of Woodman’s Food Market, Inc., headquartered in Wisconsin, Kristin plays a pivotal role in the success of the employee-owned company, which operates 20 stores across Wisconsin and northern Illinois. Her journey with Woodman’s began in the realm of human resources, where she served as the HR Director before assuming her current position as EVP for the company. With an impressive 28 years of experience in the industry, Kristin leads the organization’s operations with astuteness and strategic vision.

In addition to her role at Woodman’s, Kristin is deeply involved and a proud member of the Women Grocers of America (WGA) and currently holds the esteemed position of President within the organization. Kristin’s leadership within WGA exemplifies her commitment to supporting women and promoting diversity at all levels of the grocery industry, allowing us all to work better together. Through her tireless efforts, she continues to inspire and uplift countless individuals, leaving an indelible mark on the industry and paving the way for the future.

Kristin is also a founding member of Wisconsin’s Women Grocers Network, a community creating similar support and opportunities at the state level. She holds a degree in Business, has completed the Executive Leadership Development Program at Cornell University and has been recognized as a Women of Influence in the grocery industry. 

Speakers

JP Frossard, VP & Consumer Foods Analyst
Rabobank

Based in New York, JP is part of Rabobank’s Consumer Foods Research team, primarily focusing on analyzing consumer trends and consumption patterns across various sectors like foodservice, retail, consumer packaged goods, and bakery. Their insights are instrumental in shaping strategic decisions and driving growth in these industries.

JP has broad experience in the food industry that includes agricultural commodities trading, research, and procurement. He most recently worked at PepsiCo, where he was responsible for sweeteners procurement in North America. Prior to that, he worked at Bunge in Brazil and the US as a sugar trader, economic researcher, and export analyst.

JP holds a Bachelor’s degree in International Affairs from the University of São Paulo and studied International Business and Trade at Fundação Getulio Vargas in Brazil.

Eva Goulbourne, Founder & CEO
Littlefoot Ventures

Eva Goulbourne is the Founder & CEO of Littlefoot Ventures, a strategy firm advancing food systems transformation through strategy, communications, and catalytic finance. She works at the intersection of business, philanthropy, and climate impact, helping companies, investors, and nonprofits translate ambition into measurable action across food waste reduction, regenerative agriculture, and ESG innovation.

A recognized leader in food systems and circular economy strategy, Eva was a founding team member and first employee of ReFED, where she helped secure the organization’s initial philanthropic funding and positioned it as the national data hub for food waste in the U.S. Before that, she served on the Global Food Security and Agriculture team at the World Economic Forum, where she built partnerships with global food companies, heads of state, and UN agencies across 12 countries.

Eva’s work has been featured in Fast Company, The Guardian, Forbes, Food Business News, Waste360, and Food Navigator, among others. She is the recipient of the 2025 Waste360 Changemaker Award, recognizing her leadership in advancing a more sustainable and equitable food system.

She also hosts the podcast Everything but the Carbon Sink, which explores the intersection of food and climate and the financing models needed to scale systems change. A sought-after speaker and advisor, Eva brings a rare blend of strategic insight and pragmatic execution to mobilize capital, shift narratives, and design a food system that works for people and the planet.

Aubrey Jones, Research Associate
Cleveland Research

Aubrey is a Research Associate at Cleveland Research, covering the grocery, mass, club, and dollar channels, as well as trends on Wamart.com and Target.com. As a Research Associate, she has focused on connecting with suppliers across categories and gathering insights on the retail channel for Cleveland Research’s Traditional Research Council since joining the company in 2022.  Aubrey holds two Bachelor’s Degrees in International Studies and Economics from Miami University.

Ashley Kim, Research Manager
Morning Consult

Ashley Kim brings several years of market research experience, spanning brand reputation and management, policy polling, message testing, advanced analytics, and the development of data-driven strategies using consumer insights. She brings a strong specialization in project management and presenting compelling narratives to diverse audiences, including key stakeholders and internal teams. Ashley has worked closely with NFRA since late 2024 as a thought partner, using actionable insights to develop strategic blueprints that shed light on consumer behavior and attitudes toward the frozen and refrigerated food category.

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Michael Konrad, Research Associate
Cleveland Research

Michael is a Research Associate at Cleveland Research Company, focused on Grocery and eCommerce. In his role, he works closely with CRC’s Council Members through 1×1 analyst calls, roundtables, and in-person events to gather insights and communicate those findings back to CRC’s supplier community. Michael’s goal is to drive best in-class research while helping organizations carve out competitive advantages to win with their key retailers.

Michael holds a Bachelor’s Degree in Accounting from the Ohio State University.

Cara Loeys, VP & Industry Advisor
Circana

Cara Loeys is Circana’s VP & Industry Advisor for U.S. CPG and Food & Beverage, where she focuses on leading industry executives on emerging macro industry trends and issues CPG and retail executives are facing. Cara has been with Circana for 15 years, spending several years engaging with client leaders in thought leadership. Prior to her role as a thought leader, Cara served as principal in Circana’s Growth Consulting Practice helping CPG clients with corporate and brand growth strategy, retail and channel strategy, and investment due diligence. Cara has an MBA from the University of Chicago Booth School of Business and a BA in Economics from Johns Hopkins University. 

Joe Parrish, Co-founder
The Variable

Joe Parrish is a serial entrepreneur who has started, scaled, and sold companies across advertising, consumer products, and CPG, and now helps businesses stop failing at AI.

He co-founded The Variable, a creative agency that won AdAge Small Agency of the Year four times and made Fast Company’s Best Workplaces for Innovators list three times. Before that, he launched 5mississippi, a toy company where he invented and patented Hookum, and Sunshine Beverages, an energy drink brand he later sold.

Today, Joe runs upupdndn, where he helps companies capture their institutional knowledge and turn it into AI systems that unlock bottlenecks.

Whether he’s speaking at SXSW or an industry trade conference, Joe explains AI (its problems and its potential) in a way that’s relatable and actionable. No hype, no jargon, just real-world implications.

Joe is a Wake Forest graduate, an instrument-rated pilot, and a former musician who still believes the best ideas are the whole point. He’s based in Winston-Salem, NC.